12 days are left before the end of the first stage of the contest “Nine treasures”, timed to Tourism Year in Tuva. The members of organizing committee voced the preliminary results. The last day for admission of applications is March 15. Today about 100 participants are registered. The committee has letters from different parts of Tuva and from people abroad. For example, Steve Sklar, an American musician presented Tuvinian throat-singing Khoomey as one of the sights of the Republic.

Local people of Tuva name the most famous places of interest in Tuva, among them – the centre of Asia, a fortress Por-Bazhin, temple Ustuu-Khuree and some others, though there are some less known sights, but all the same very interesting for tourists and mysterious.

After the contest the group of initiators in different parts of Tuva will equip the sorted out objects with the necessary facilities and make them more attractive for tourists. Organizers of the contest hope for the help of local governments, the public and young people.

According to the opinion of Vice-premier Artur Mongola, the project “Nine treasures” can be named folk and popular, because not only professional historians and ethnographers, but ordinary people take part in the contest.

In the beginning of autumn Internet and SMS voting will start. According to the voting a list of sights will be made, which will be further included into a book and DVD-album devoted to Tuva.